Various liquid compositions have been described that have been particularly designed for the cleaning of hard surfaces without streaking or spotting.
There have also been described various hard surface wiping articles comprising substrates having incorporated thereon or therein certain surface treating agents or cleansing agents. Such wiping articles, included among which are those specifically designed to give streak-free results, are provided in (a) dry form and intended for use in the dry state, (b) dry form and intended to be used in conjunction with moisture, or (c) wet-impregnated form intended for use without the need for providing additional moisture.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,621 (issued to Clark et al. in 1987) describes a pre-moistened hard surface wiping article. The formulation used to moisten the article described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,621 is useful because after the surface to be cleaned is wet with the wipe, the released liquid dries by itself to leave a substantially streak free shine.
Employing a high alcohol content in the formulation used to moisten the wiping articles (also referred to herein as "wipes") of type described in the prior art has been associated with contributing to many desirable characteristics, including favorable liquid distribution, leveling properties, and preservation. Adding other ingredients to compensate for the decreased alcohol content is restricted because the inclusion of other ingredients has been associated with leaving a "streak" effect on the hard surface once the liquid dries. As used herein, the "streak" effect is defined as the residue left on the cleaned hard surface once the liquid from the wiping article dries.
Recent environmental concerns about the quantity of volatile organic compounds, such as alcohols, in consumer products have prompted research into reducing volatile organic compounds in formulations used in consumer products. One problem encountered in reducing the amount of alcohol in pre-moistened wiping articles, however, is that many of the desirable characteristics typical of high alcohol formulations are foregone when the alcohol content is reduced. Discovering alternative formulations for a wiping article that substantially avoids the "streak" effect is highly desirable, especially in light of the recent governmental regulations concerning decreasing the amount of volatile organic compounds in consumer and industrial use products.